Lock assembly

ABSTRACT

A cabinet handle lock assembly comprising a retainer support mounted on the cabinet. A handle is movably mounted on the cabinet and mating retaining elements are provided on the handle and the block which are engageable with each other to limit movement of the handle in only one direction. Latching means is engageable with the handle when the retaining elements are engaged to prevent movement of the handle in the said one direction thereby effectively locking the handle in a selected position.

United States Patent Conrath et al.

LOCK ASSEMBLY Richard L. Conrath; Robert B. Beare, both of Herrin, 111.

Inventors:

Assignee: Fedders Corporation, Edison, NJ.

Filed: July 11, 1974 App]. No.: 487,465

US. Cl. 312/319; 312/320; 292/341.15 Int. Cl. E05B 15/02; A47B 88/00 Field of Search 312/319, 320, 333;

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1/1890 Schade et a1. 292/302 l1/1951 Patton 292/207 11/1963 Kimble... 312/320 7/1965 Sauter 312/320 Aug. 12, 1975 Lundell 312/320 Graziosi 292/341. 15

Primary Exanziner-Paul R. Gilliam Assistant Examiner-Victor N. Sakran Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Ryder, McAulay, Fields, Fisher & Goldstein [57] ABSTRACT A cabinet handle lock assembly comprising a retainer support mounted on the cabinet. A handle is movably mounted on the cabinet and mating retaining elements are provided on the handle and the block which are engageable with each other to limit movement of the handle in only one direction. Latching means is engageable with the handle when the retaining elements are engaged to prevent movement of the handle in the said one direction thereby effectively locking the handle in a selected position.

14 Claims, 12 Drawing Figures PATENTED AUG I 2 I975 SHEET FIG. I

PATENTED AUBI 21975 SHEET FIG. 3

FIG. 5

FIG. 4

FIG.7 FIG.8

PATENTED AUG] 2 I975 SHEET LOCK ASSEMBLY BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to a lock assembly and, more particularly, pertains to an assembly for immobilizing a movable handle on a cabinet.

A number of portable appliances, particularly automatic clothes washers, are provided with wheels to fa cilitate movement of the appliance between storage and work areas. Since it is important that the machine be rigidly supported during a cycle of operation, some appliances have been provided with retractable wheels when it is desired to utilize the machine. For example, US. patent application Ser. No. 394,673, filed Sept. 6, 1973, entitled Movable Appliance Arrangement, and assigned to the assignees of the present invention, discloses one such arrangement.

As shown in the aforementioned application, the projection or retraction of the wheels is controlled by movement of the appliances handle. As the handle is rotated from a vertical to a horizontal position, the wheels are extended to permit movement of the appliance. Since the weight of the appliance normally causes the wheels to retract, whereby the appliance rests on stationary feet, provision must be made to lock the handle in position when the wheels are in their extended position.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an improved lock assembly for a movable handle.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a lock assembly for a movable handle that is highly reliable in operation.

Another object of the invention resides in the novel details of construction that provide a lock assembly of the type described that is simple to operate.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, a lock assembly constructed according to the present invention which is utilized to retain a movable handle in a preselected orientation on a cabinet comprises first locking means adapted to be mounted on one of the cabinet and the handle and mating second locking means adapted to be mounted on the other of the cabinet and the handle. The first locking means comprises a first retaining element and the second locking means comprises a second retaining element engageable with the first retaining element to retain the handle in the preselected orientation. Latch means is provided which is adapted to be mounted on the handle and the cabinet and is operable when the first and the second retaining elements are in engagement, to prevent separation of the first and the second tiretaining elements.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an appliance utilizing a lock assembly contructed according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a detailed perspective view of portions of the lock assembly showing the relative positions of the parts in the locked state;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 33 of FIGS. 4 and 5, illustrating the relative positions of the parts in the locked state;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 55 of FIG. 3.

FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 are side elevational views of portions of the lock assembly, to a reduced scale, illustrating the different relative positions of the parts during an opening sequence;

FIG. 9 is a perspective exploded view, to an enlarged scale, of portions of the lock assembly;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view, to an enlarged scale, as viewed from the front, of the retainer support block of the assembly of the present invention;

FIG. 1 l is a side elevational view of the arrangement for movably mounting the handle of the appliance; and,

FIG. 12 is a rear elevational view of the arrangement of FIG. 11, illustrating the handle mounting bracket.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIG. 1 illustrates a portable home appliance designated generally by the reference character 10, which may comprise an automatic clothes washer or the like, of the type described more fully in the aforementioned US. patent application Ser. No. 394,673. As noted therein, the appliance includes a cabinet 12 having a front wall 14 and a movable handle 16. The handle 16 controls the operation of wheels (not shown) that permit movement of the appliance between a work area and a storage area. As noted more fully in the aforementioned application, when the handle is in the position indicated by the dashed line drawing of FIG. 1, the wheels are retracted and the appliance is rigidly supported on stationary feet (not shown). However, when the handle 16 is rotated counterclockwise to the horizontal position indicated by the solid line drawing of FIG. 1, the wheels are extended and support the cabinet 12 so that the cabinet may be moved to a desired location. Since the weight of the cabinet would normally cause the wheels to retract, a lock assembly designated generally by the reference character 18 is provided to securely lock the handle 16 in a horizontal position, thereby to maintain the wheels in the extended position.

The lock assembly 18 is shown more particularly in FIGS. 3-5 and 9 and 10, and includes a retainer support block designated generally by the reference character 20. The support block is provided with a rearwardly opening channel 22, the front wall 42 of which terminates in spaced relationship to front wall 24 of the block. The channel 22 is provided with a laterally offset leg portion 26 that extends through the block. Additionally, the upper surface of the channel 22 is recessed to define an upper peripheral shelf 28. As shown in FIG. 9, the front wall 29 of the shelf portion is located forward of the front wall 42.

Slideably received with the channel 22 and conforming to the shape thereof is a latch member designated generally by the reference character 30. More particularly, the latch member 30 is provided with a base 32 having a laterally extending portion 34 that is received within the leg portion 26 of the channel 22. Upstanding from the base 32 is a post 36 that is received in the vertical portion of the channel 22. The post includes a front wall 44 and an enlarged head 38 that extends outwardly of the post to provide an overhanging peripheral portion 40 that extends along the sides and the front of the post. The front wall 42 of the channel is adapted to engage the front wall 44 of the post 36 to limit the forward movement of the post, as shown in FIG. 5. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 5, the base 32 is sized to extend beyond the rear wall of the support block 20 when the walls 42 and 44 are in engagement for reasons which will become apparent hereinbelow.

The left-hand portion of the block 20 as taken in FIG. 10, is undercut at 46 to provide a projection 48 that extends forwardly from a wall 50 (see FIG. When the latch member 30 is in its forward position (wherein the front wall 44 of the post 36 is in engagement with the front wall 42 of the channel 22) the base 32 extends beyond the wall 50. In other words, the latch member 30 projects forwardly of the wall 50.

The support block is mounted on the wall 14 of the cabinet 12 and a spring 52 biases the latch member 30 to the forward position. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 9, the spring 52 comprises a T-shaped member having an upstanding central leg 54 and a crossmember 56 having depending ear portions 58 connected to the ends thereof. The ears 58 are provided with apertures 60 which received threaded screws 62 therethrough. The screws 62 are adapted to be threadedly received in spaced threaded bores 64 in the rear surface of the block 20. When the block 20 is mounted on the front wall 14 of the appliance, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the screws 62 extend through the apertures 60 and appropriate openings in the front wall 14 of the appliance and are threadedly engaged in the bores 64 in the block. The central leg 54 of the spring 52 is positioned so that it engages the rearwardly projecting base 32 of the latch member 30, thereby biasing the latch member to the forward position shown in FIG. 5. Star or lock washers 66 may be provided between the heads of the screws 62 and the spring 52, as shown in FIG. 3, to maintain the screws in position.

Retaining elements or locking means designated generally by the reference character 68 in FIG. 4 are provided on the handle 16 and the block 20 and are engageable with each other to prevent clockwise movement of the handle 16 to the vertical position. Thus the possibility of the machine accidently dropping is eliminated. More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the right-hand portion of the block 20 is provided with an upwardly opening slot 70. The slot 70 is defined by a rear wall 72, a bottom wall 74 that tapers downwardly and forwardly, and a substantially vertical front wall 76. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the front wall 76 terminates substantially below the rear wall 72 of the slot. The upper edge 78 of the portion of the block 20 containing the slot 70 tapers upwardly and rearwardly, as shown in FIG. 4 and the lower edge 124 tapers upwardly and forwardly.

On the other hand, the end 17 of the handle 16, as shown clearly in FIG. 9, is provided with a depending projection 80 that is adapted to be received in the slot 70. That is, the end of the handle 16 is provided with a rearwardly extending member 82 that terminates in the projection 80. The projection 80 is defined by a substantially vertical front wall 84 which, in turn, is spaced from a wall 86 to define a slot or groove 88 therebetween having a bottom wall 90. The projection is further defined by a substantially vertical rear wall 92 and a bottom wall 94 that conforms to the taper of the wall 74 of the slot 70. In other words, the wall 94 similarly tapers downwardly and forwardly as does the wall 90. The interengagement of the retaining elements 68 on the handle and the support block is shown in FIG. 4. Thus, the projection is received within the slot or groove 70 with the bottom wall 94 of the projection abutting the bottom wall 74 of the groove. Additionally, the top edge 78 of the forward portion of the block 20 is similarly in engagement with the wall of the groove 88. Hence, clockwise rotation of the handle 16 to the vertical position is arrested, thereby eliminating the possibility of retraction of the wheels. Moreover, wall 84 of the projection 80 abuts the wall 76 of the groove 70 thereby preventing movement of the end of the handle 16 away from the block 20 for reasons which will become apparent from a consideration of the discussion below.

It will be obvious from a consideration of FIG. 4 that the handle may be rotated in a counterclockwise direction to lift the projection 80 out of the groove 70. However, the latch member 30 cooperates with a tab 96 extending rearwardly from the inner surface of the end 17 of the handle 16 to arrest movement of the handle in the counterclockwise direction, thereby immobilizing the handle and effectively locking the handle in the horizontal position. As shown in FIGS. 3, 5 and 9, the tab 96 is positioned adjacent to and slightly below the projection 80. When the projection 80 is received in the slot 70, the tab 96 is sized and positioned to extend rearwardly below the forwardly projecting portion of the base 32 of the latch member 30. Thus, if the handle is rotated in the counterclockwise direction, the tab 96 will abut the undersurface of the member 30 thereby preventing movement in such direction. Accordingly, movement of the handle in any direction is thereby arrested.

Since the slot 70 opens upwardly, it is obvious that the end 17 of the handle must be above the slot so that the projection 80 may be moved into the slot. However, the handle can only be moved from the vertical to the horizontal position via a counterclockwise rotation.

Accordingly, provision is made whereby the end 17 of the handle 16 is moved outwardly of the block 20 to permit the projection 80 to be moved to a position above the block. That is, the end 17 of the handle may be moved away from the block to permit clearance between the handle and the block as the projection 80 is moved to a position above the block.

FIGS. 11 and 12 illustrate a mounting arrangement for the handle 16 that permits the movement in a horizontal plane of the projection 80 toward and away from the support block 20. To be more specific, as shown in FIG. 11, the handle 16 is provided with a blind bore 100 that receives a shaft 102 of an operating member 104 therein. The operating member 104 is U-shaped. One leg thereof forms the shaft 102 and the other leg 106 is connected to the leg 102 by a bight portion 108. The shaft 102 is connected to the handle 16 by a radially extending pin 110 received in a keyway slot 112. Spaced-set screws 1 14 abut the shaft 102 to prevent removal of the handle 16 from the shaft and to assist the pin 1 10 to connect the handle to the shaft. The operating member 104 is supported in a bracket 116 which, in turn, is connected to the appliance cabinet by appropriate means (not shown).

The movement of operating member 104 controls the extension or retraction of the wheels. That is, rotation of the member 104 will cause the wheels either to retract or extend, as the case may be. However, the actual operating mechanism for controlling movement of the wheels does not form a portion of the present invention and, accordingly, the reader is referred to the aforementioned patent application if more information is desired on this subject. In other words, only those portions of the wheel operating arrangement necessary for an understanding of the present invention will be disclosed herein.

The leg 102 of the U-shaped operating member 104 extends through an aperture in the front wall 118 of the bracket 116 and an opening 119 in the wall 14, and an aperture 120 in the rear wall 122 of the bracket. As shown more clearly in FIG. 12, the aperture 120 is slightly elongated at 123 to permit the operating member 104 to pivot slightly about the mounting in the front wall 118 and the opening 119 in the wall 14 of the cabinet. In other words, a force applied to the end of the shaft 102 in a direction into the plane of the drawing as taken in FIG. 11, will cause the shaft 102 to pivot about its mounting through the front wall 118 of the bracket 116 and the opening in the wall 14 to the extent permitted by the elongation 123 of the slot 120.

That is, the force will cause the end of the member 104 extending through the aperture 120 to pivot towards the right, as taken in FIG. 12. Since the handle 16 is rigidly connected to the shaft 102, it will now be obvious that the end 17 of the handle maybe pivoted in a horizontal plane away from the retainer support block 20. Thus, the handle 16 is capable of movement in two planes. The handle maybe rotated between the vertical and horizontal positions in a vertical plane and the end 17 of the handle may also be pivoted via the bracket 116 and the member 104 in a horizontal plane.

The operation of the lock assembly 18 of the present invention may best be understood by reference to FIGS. 6-8. Assuming that the lock assembly is in the closed or locked state, the projection 80 will be received in the open-ended slot 70 as shown in FIG. 6. Additionally, the tab 96 will be positioned below the base 32 of the latch member 30, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. Accordingly, the handle 16 will be immobilized. That is, the interengagement of the projection 80 and the groove or slot 70 will prevent rotation of the handle in a clockwise direction and will also prevent movement of the handle in a horizontal plane away from the support block 20. Additionally, since the latch member 30 overlies the tab 96, movement of the handle in a counterclockwise direction is similarly arrested.

When it is desired to unlock the handle, the operator grasps the handle adjacent to the lock assembly 18. The operator then moves the latch member 30 rearwardly against the bias of the central leg 54 of the spring 52 by pushing rearwardly on the exposed head 38 of the member. As shown in FIG. 7, the member 30 is moved rearwardly until the rear wall of the post 36 abuts the wall 14 of the appliance. The tab 96 and the member 30 are sized so that when the post 36 abuts the wall 14, the base 32 will be spaced from the tab 96. In other words, the member 30 will no longer be in overlying relationship with respect to the tab 96. As a result, the handle 16 may now be rotated in the counterclockwise direction.

The degree of rotation of the handle in the counterclockwise direction from the position shown in FIG. 6 will be limited by the distance between the tab 96 and the projection 48 of the block 20. The tab 96 is spaced below the projection 80 on the handle by a distance sufficient to permit the projection 80 to be lifted out of the slot before the tab 96 engages the projection 48 on the block 20. Accordingly, the unlocking operation comprises moving the latch member 30 rearwardly and then rotating the handle 16 in the counterclockwise direction a distance sufiicient to remove the projection from the slot 70.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 8, the end 17 of the handle is pivoted in the horizontal plane via the pivotal connection provided by the bracket 116, as noted in detail above. The elongation 123 of the aperture in the bracket 116 is sufficient to permit the handle to be pivoted sufficiently so that the projection 80 is in the spaced relationship to the support block 20. In other words, the handle will clear the support block. Thus, the handle may now be rotated clockwise to the vertical position to permit the wheels to be retracted.

When it is desired to lock the handle in the horizontal orientation, the above procedure is simply reversed. As noted above, the front surface of the support block 20 is tapered upwardly and outwardly at 124 to facilitate movement of the handle away from the block. In other words, as the handle is rotated counterclockwise to the horizontal position, the top inner edge of the handle may engage the surface 124. Accordingly, a camming action will occur as the edge rides on the surface 124 which will cause the end 17 of the handle to pivot away from the support block 20 as the handle is moved to the horizontal position. Also, it should be noted that the latch member 30 will automatically be depressed or moved rearwardly as the handle is moved into the locking position or state. That is, the tab 96 will engage the member 30 and move it rearwardly as the handle is moved toward the support block 20. Thereafter, when the projection 80 is moved into the slot 70, the tab 96 will ride downwardly on the member 30 and, as soon as it clears the member 30, the spring 52 will bias the member 30 back to its overlying position with respect to the tab 96, thereby immobilizing the handle.

Additionally, the camming action provided by t I tapered surfaces 78 and 94 ensure that the handle I will only be supported on the retainer block 20 wh l the projection 80 is engaged with slot 70. That is if the handle 16 is moved into a position of only partial engagement with the block 20, the tapered surfaces will cam the handle outwardly causing immediate disengagement of the handle 16 and block 20. Therefore, the handle cannot be properly supported in the wheels extended position without being properly latched.

Accordingly, a simple and reliable lock assembly has been disclosed which securely locks a movable handle in a desired orientation.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described herein, it will become obvi ous that numerous omissions, changes and additions may be made in such embodiment without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A lock assembly for retaining in a preselected orientation a handle rotatable in a plane substantially parallel to a wall of a cabinet and having a free end movable toward and away from the cabinet, said lock assembly comprising: first locking means adapted to be mounted on one of the cabinet and the free end of the handle, and mating second locking means adapted to be mounted on the other of the cabinet and the free end of the handle, said first locking means comprising a first retaining element, said second locking means comprising a second retaining element engageable with said first retaining element to prevent movement of the free end of the handle away from the cabinet and to retain the handle in said preselected orientation, and latch means adapted to be mounted on the free end of the handle and the cabinet and being operable when said first and second retaining elements are in engagement for arresting rotation of the handle to prevent separation of said first and second retaining elements.

2. A lock assembly as in claim 1, in which said first retaining element comprises an open-ended slot, and said second retaining element comprises a projection sized and positioned to be received in said open-ended slot.

3. A lock assembly as in claim 2, inwhich said latch means comprises a tab on one of said handle and said cabinet, and a movable member on the other of said handle and cabinet, said member being sized and positioned to be in locking relationship to said tab when said projection is received within said open-ended slot to prevent removal of said projection from said openended slot.

4. A latch assembly as in claim 3, in which said latch means further comprises biasing means for biasing said member into overlying relationship to said tab.

5. A lock assembly as in claim 1, in which said first lock means comprises a retainer support having said first retaining element thereon, said first retaining element comprising an upwardly opening slot, said second retaining element comprising a depending projection adapted to be received in said open slot, said latch means comprising a tab adapted to be mounted on said handle and extending toward said support and being spaced below said projection, and a member movably mounted on said support for movement into overlying position with respect to said tab when said projection is received within said slot to prevent disengagement of said projection from said slot.

6. A lock assembly as in claim 5, in which the bottom surface of said projection tapers downwardly away from said support, and the forward edge of the wall defining said slot tapers upwardly toward the rear wall of said slot, whereby said projection is moved upwardly as said projection engages the top edge of said front wall, said tab being positioned to engage said member to move said member from said overlying position as said projection and said slot are interengaged.

7. A cabinet handle locking assembly comprising a cabinet, a retainer support mounted on said cabinet, a handle for controlling the operation of portability apparatus of said cabinet, mounting means connected to one end of said handle for mounting said handle on said cabinet for rotational movement of said handle with re- Spect to a wall of said cabinet and for movement of the other end of said handle toward and away from said cabinet, mating retaining elements on said other end of said handle and said support engageable with each other to limit movement of said handle to rotational movement in a preselected direction, and latching means engageable with said other end of said handle when said retaining elements are engaged to prevent rotational movement of said handle in said preselected direction.

8. A handle locking assembly as in claim 7, in which said retaining elements comprise an open-ended slot in said support, and a projection on said handle adapted to be received in said slot.

9. A handle locking assembly as in claim 8, in which said open-ended slot opens upwardly, said projection extending downwardly into said slot when said handle is in substantially a horizontal position to limit said handle to a counterclockwise movement.

10. A handle locking assembly as in claim 9, in which said latching means comprises a tab on said handle spaced below said projection and extending toward said cabinet, and a member movably mounted on said cabinet and positioned to overlie said tab when said projection is received in said slot to prevent rotation of said handle in the counterclockwise direction.

11. A handle locking assembly as in claim 10, and a channel in said support slideably receiving said member therein, said member being movable between a latching position wherein said member overlies said tab, and an unlatching position wherein said member is spaced from said tab to permit rotation of said handle in the counterclockwise direction, and biasing means for biasing said member to the latching position.

12. A handle locking assembly as in claim 11, in which said member comprises a head extending above said support whereby said head may be engaged by an operator to move said member to said unlatching position.

13. A handle locking assembly as in claim 9, in which said support projects forwardly from said cabinet, and said projection extends rearwardly from the end of said handle, and said mounting means includes means for mounting said handle for rotational movement and pivotal movement so that said projection may be moved outwardly of said support.

14. A handle locking assembly as in claim 13, in which said mounting means comprises a shaft connected to said handle, a bracket in said cabinet having front and rear walls, an aperture in said front wall receiving said shaft therethrough for rotational movement, and an elongated slot in said rear wall receiving said shaft therethrough for rotational movement and for pivotal movement with respect to said front wall aperture, whereby said projection may be moved in a horizontal plane away from said support to permit rotation of said handle to a position wherein said projection is spaced above said support.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 5, 99,250 Dated August 12, 1975 Inventor(s) Richard L. Conrath et al.

It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 6, lines l-5-5O should read Additionally, the camming action provided by the tapered surfaces '78 and 9 ensure that the handle 16 will only be supported on the retainer block 20 when the projection 80 is engaged with slot 70. That is, if the handle 16 is moved into a position of only partial engagement with the block 20, the tapered surfaces 1 Will Sugncd and Scaled this twenty-third D3) Of December 1975 [SEAL] Attest:

RUTH C. M A SON C. MARSHALL DANN 11 Commissioner oflarenls and Trademarks =ORM PO-1050 (10-69) USCOMM-DC 50376-PB9 u,s. covermmim PRINTING OFFICE. 930 

1. A lock assembly for retaining in a preselected orientation a handle rotatable in a plane substantially parallel to a wall of a cabinet and having a free end movable toward and away from the cabinet, said lock assembly comprising: first locking means adapted to be mounted on one of the cabinet and the free end of the handle, and mating second locking means adapted to be mounted on the other of the cabinet and the free end of the handle, said first locking means comprising a first retaining element, said second locking means comprising a second retaining element engageable with said first retaining element to prevent movement of the free end of the handle away from the cabinet and to retain the handle in said preselected orientation, and latch means adapted to be mounted on the free end of the handle and the cabinet and being operable when said first and second retaining elements are in engagement for arresting rotation of the handle to prevent separation of said first and second retaining elements.
 2. A lock assembly as in claim 1, in which said first retaining element comprises an open-ended slot, and said second retaining element comprises a projection sized and positioned to be received in said open-ended slot.
 3. A lock assembly as in claim 2, in which said latch means comprises a tab on one of said handle and said cabinet, and a movable member on the other of said handle and cabinet, said member being sized and positioned to be in locking relationship to said tab when said projection is received within said open-ended slot to prevent removal of said projection from said open-ended slot.
 4. A latch assembly as in claim 3, in which said latch means further comprises biasing means for biasing said member into overlying relationship to said tab.
 5. A lock assembly as in claim 1, in which said first lock means comprises a retainer support having said first retaining element thereon, said first retaining element comprising an upwardly opening slot, said second retaining element comprising a depending projection adapted to be received in said open slot, said latch means comprising a tab adapted to be mounted on said handle and extending toward said support and being spaced below said projection, and a member movably mounted on said support for movement into overlying position with respect to said tab when said projection is received within said slot to prevent disengagement of said projection from said slot.
 6. A lock assembly as in claim 5, in which the bottom surface of said projection tapers downwardly away from said support, and the forward edge of the wall defining said slot tapErs upwardly toward the rear wall of said slot, whereby said projection is moved upwardly as said projection engages the top edge of said front wall, said tab being positioned to engage said member to move said member from said overlying position as said projection and said slot are interengaged.
 7. A cabinet handle locking assembly comprising a cabinet, a retainer support mounted on said cabinet, a handle for controlling the operation of portability apparatus of said cabinet, mounting means connected to one end of said handle for mounting said handle on said cabinet for rotational movement of said handle with respect to a wall of said cabinet and for movement of the other end of said handle toward and away from said cabinet, mating retaining elements on said other end of said handle and said support engageable with each other to limit movement of said handle to rotational movement in a preselected direction, and latching means engageable with said other end of said handle when said retaining elements are engaged to prevent rotational movement of said handle in said preselected direction.
 8. A handle locking assembly as in claim 7, in which said retaining elements comprise an open-ended slot in said support, and a projection on said handle adapted to be received in said slot.
 9. A handle locking assembly as in claim 8, in which said open-ended slot opens upwardly, said projection extending downwardly into said slot when said handle is in substantially a horizontal position to limit said handle to a counterclockwise movement.
 10. A handle locking assembly as in claim 9, in which said latching means comprises a tab on said handle spaced below said projection and extending toward said cabinet, and a member movably mounted on said cabinet and positioned to overlie said tab when said projection is received in said slot to prevent rotation of said handle in the counterclockwise direction.
 11. A handle locking assembly as in claim 10, and a channel in said support slideably receiving said member therein, said member being movable between a latching position wherein said member overlies said tab, and an unlatching position wherein said member is spaced from said tab to permit rotation of said handle in the counterclockwise direction, and biasing means for biasing said member to the latching position.
 12. A handle locking assembly as in claim 11, in which said member comprises a head extending above said support whereby said head may be engaged by an operator to move said member to said unlatching position.
 13. A handle locking assembly as in claim 9, in which said support projects forwardly from said cabinet, and said projection extends rearwardly from the end of said handle, and said mounting means includes means for mounting said handle for rotational movement and pivotal movement so that said projection may be moved outwardly of said support.
 14. A handle locking assembly as in claim 13, in which said mounting means comprises a shaft connected to said handle, a bracket in said cabinet having front and rear walls, an aperture in said front wall receiving said shaft therethrough for rotational movement, and an elongated slot in said rear wall receiving said shaft therethrough for rotational movement and for pivotal movement with respect to said front wall aperture, whereby said projection may be moved in a horizontal plane away from said support to permit rotation of said handle to a position wherein said projection is spaced above said support. 